Snowed-in senior carves tunnel to escape Moncton home

Roger Richard, 85, spent eight hours on Monday tunnelling his way out of his Moncton home.

An 85-year-old Moncton man inadvertently became an architect of snow after getting stuck inside by the region’s latest storm.

Roger Richard spent eight hours on Monday working to clear snow that, as he figures, was nearly five metres deep in some spots.

In the end, he succeeded, carving out an archway of snow in the process.

“Next storm, where am I going to put the snow? In the barn. I'll open the door and throw it there,” he joked.

Richard and his wife were stuck inside all day Sunday.

Fortunately, he had his snow shovel within reach of the back door.

Richard said he shoveled his way to his backyard barn, where he keeps his electric snowblower — but it didn’t take long for the small machine to be overwhelmed.

Growing up in Richibucto, N.B., Richard said he used to enjoy playing in the snow.

But this, he said, was no fun.

“I had snow maybe that high, but this is ridiculous,” he said.

Already worried about the spring thaw, and with another storm fast approaching, Richard said his plans for his summer garden may have to be put on hold.

“I don't think I'll have a garden this year, the way it's going,” he said.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis